Friday poems are really Lindsay's province whereas Friday flowers are more mine, but why not combine the two with a couple of fragments on the theme of gardens.
First is from Stephen Hawes's love poem, "The Passetyme of Pleasure, or the history of graunde amoure amd la bell Pucel"
(those with stamina can read the whole thing here):
Than in we went, to the garden gloryous
Lyke to a place, of pleasure most solacious
With flora paynted, and wrought curyously
In divers knottes, of marveylous greatnes....
Amiddes the garden, so much delectable
There was an harber, fayre and quadrant
To Paradyse, right well comparable
Sette all about, with floures flagraunt...
The next excerpt is from Wordsworth's "Composed by the Seashore". You'll see no mention of flowers or gardens there, but Thomas Mawson, whose work I admire, chose the last four lines to end his autobiographical book "The Life and Work of an English Landscape Architect", thus:-
A garden...the place
Where good men disappointed in the quest
Of wealth and power and honours, long for rest;
Or having known the splendours of success,
Sigh for the obscurities of happiness.
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Lovely flowers and lovely poems. I am inspired and am about to post my own favorite, by Marvell.
Posted by: Harriet | 25 July 2008 at 11:58 AM
Lovely quote from Wordsworth. Quite summed up my feelings as I sat peacefully in my garden spinning after a hard day at the office yesterday. I was quite simply happy.
There must be poetry in the air this week - I have just posted a little something from Catullus on my blog.
Posted by: probablyjane | 25 July 2008 at 12:30 PM
A most interesting post! Thanks for all the links which I enjoyed reading. If you ever think of starting a Poetry Discovery (like Classic Discovery of a piece of music) I would nominate the Wordsworth poem above.
Posted by: Barbara MacLeod | 26 July 2008 at 06:26 AM